EMD DDM45

Infobox Locomotive
name=EMD DDM45
powertype=Diesel-electric


caption=Locomotive #861 of EFVM is a DDM45.
builder=General Motors Electro-Motive Division
aarwheels=D-D
gauge=1 m
locale=South America
poweroutput=3,600 hp
builddate=1970 - 1976

The EMD DDM45 is a narrow gauge diesel-electric locomotive built by EMD. It has eight axles in two trucks, giving it a D-D wheel arrangement. The name means a D-D locomotive, M for meter gauge (the rails are a meter apart), 45 series. They were built for service in Brazil, South America. The Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas (EFVM) bought several in the early 1970s in order to expand their locomotive roster. The EFVM needed the most powerful single-engined locomotive available, and the SD45 represented the highest-rated model that EMD had to offer at the time.

However, a big locomotive such as an SD45 with its three-axle trucks wasn't readily adaptable to the EFVM's narrow gauge trackage. The smaller traction motors of the meter gauge locomotive were unable to handle the full current capacity from the 3,600 HP prime mover. And so, EMD proposed the meter gauge version of the Flexicoil-D four-axle trucks, similar to those found under the domestic EMD DD35, EMD DD35A and EMD DDA40X locomotive model, creating the DDM45 in the process. The additional 2 traction motors of this design allowed full power to be used.

Roster of DDM45s: